The priest who took part in a women’s ordination ceremony has met with his superiors. And this afternoon, the National Catholic Reporter filed this summary:

Maryknoll Fr. Roy Bourgeois, who concelebrated a Mass at a women’s ordination ceremony earlier this month, has met with leaders of his order religious order, calling the meeting “productive.”

Bourgeois told NCR that he and the Maryknoll leadership had agreed that in the future they would work in conjunction on important issues of justice and faith, including the role of women in the church.

A report based on the day-long meeting Aug. 18 between Bourgeois and the Maryknoll leadership will be sent to the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith for further deliberation, according to Bourgeois.

He said Maryknoll had asked him to refrain from participating in similar ceremonies.

When asked by his superiors whether he would recant for his actions Bourgeois told NCR he said replied: “No way.”

Bourgeois said he could not recant something he held so deeply as a matter of conscience.

According to Maryknoll spokewoman Betsey Guest, after meeting with the Maryknoll leadership Bourgeois and Maryknoll issued a joint statement which reads:

“An investigation has been carried out as to the true facts of the August 9 event in Lexington, Ky. A report of that investigation will be sent to the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith in Rome. In the meantime, Fr. Bourgeois has received a canonical warning.

“Contrary to popular understanding, participants in the ceremony, such as Father Bourgeois, were not automatically excommunicated.

“Going forward, Society leadership and Fr. Bourgeois will be more involved in collective discernment over issues of justice, including the role of women in the church.”

Bourgeois said Aug. 19 that he felt support from members of his Maryknoll community, “but has no idea how Rome will respond.”

He said he realizes there could be further sanctions from the Vatican.

Stay tuned. This ain’t over yet.

UPDATE: Catholic News Service has a brief report on the meeting, which evidently lasted four hours. The Maryknoll priest expressed a wish to “move ahead” and put this incident behind him.

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